WASHINGTON – Islam is being blamed for much of the violence in the world these days. With more than half the states considering “anti-Islam” legislation, no one can afford to remain silent this election cycle. The recent upsurge in anti-Muslim rhetoric, especially among Republican candidates, has prompted many American Muslim change agents to launch campaigns of their own.
There is an energy percolating in the American Muslim community motivated by the sense that we can’t change public opinion with words alone. It’s not enough to state the facts and showcase the true nature of Islam as a religion grounded in the principles of pluralism and human rights. It’s time to go beyond the defensive posturing and become more fully engaged by asserting our rights as citizens of an already great nation.
To find out more on how some prominent American Muslims are preparing for the election season in light of increasing Islamophobia, I asked them to share their views using telephone and email interviews. Here are some of the results.
Omid Safi, an American Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern studies and director of Islamic studies center at Duke University says, “American Muslims, alongside communities of African American, Hispanics, and poor people, find themselves increasingly under attack, marginalized, and targeted.
“We are caught between the unprecedented Islamophobia of the GOP, which openly calls for banning Muslim immigration, shutting down mosques, and registering Muslims (on the one hand) and the more guarded discourse of the Democrats that talks about Muslims not as citizens but only in the context of surveillance and ‘anti-radicalization’ programs (on the other).
“It is vital for Muslims to assert our rights who are more than mere guests or tolerated minorities, but full blown citizens,” he added.
Sabeeha Rehman
Islam 101
Author of the recently released memoir Threading My Prayer Rug Sabeeha Rehman agrees. Last week at the Chautauqua Institute, a non-profit adult education center, Rehman along with her husband held five daily sessions on Islam 101.
“Such was the interest, that with standing room alone, sixty people were turned away every day, after they had lined up an hour before standing in the sun,” she said.
The desire to learn more about Islam and Muslims has soared and American Muslims writers like Rehman are rising to the occasion.
As Rehman says, those who came to her presentations are now her friends and ambassadors.
“Making ourselves known is bound to chip away at ‘fear of the unknown” she said.
Fear of Unknown
Daisy Khan
Founder and executive director of Wise, The Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, Daisy Khan is also chipping away at ‘fear of the unknown’ by launching a 300 page community guide and tool kit to discredit extremist narratives.
“When linkage between Islam and terrorism continue, they have far-reaching consequences; Threatening our national unity and shared civic life, and jeopardizing perceptions of a major world religion,” She said.
In response, WISE has partnered with sixty contributors to craft a community-led, multidisciplinary strategy and will publish its Community Guide and Toolkit to expose the misuse of sacred texts. Khan is on a mission to impede extremist ideology from spreading and to immunize our communities from extremist indoctrination.
Imam Malik Mujahid
“The guide will be launched during the presidential elections with an aim to reshape the discourse on how to combat extremism and the rise of Islamophobia” She said.
Equally proactive is founding president of Sound Vision and former chairman of the Parliament of the World’s Religions Imam Malik Mujahid.
“We are organizing. We plan to swing the swing states with Muslim votes which are substantial in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan. We also are working in turning Senate towards Democrats by helping three senatorial candidates in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Muslim Democrats is a Federal PAC which was organized in 2008. It trained 950 volunteers and organized about 300,000 votes,” he says.
Preparing for Elections
Assistant professor of comparative Religion and Islamic studies at Evergreen State College, Sarah Eltantawi, is also preparing for the elections by putting on the pressure.
Sarah Eltantawi
Although Professor Eltantawi is very critical of the corporatized centrist militaristic path of the Democratic party, she is doing whatever she can to make sure that Hillary Clinton defeats Donald Trump.
“I think that at the same time as we bolster Clinton, we have to be sharply criticizing her foreign policy and tendency to serve the interests of big business and extract promises out of her while we can.
“I’m heartened that Bernie and Jane Sanders managed to have a substantive policy discussions and agreements with Clinton’s team around issues of labor. Our job as citizens is to keep putting on the pressure.
“I in no way think that task helps Donald Trump, who we must continue to call out as a fascist menace that represents an existential threat to the values and safety of the United States,” She says.